I’ve received some requests throughout the year for recommendations about dance performances that are designed for children. Sometimes I’m able to suggest a work by one of the many top-notch companies and choreographers who occasionally present works aimed at the whole family (some notables: Batsheva Dance Company, the Kibbutz Contemporary Dance Company, Noa Dar, and Anat Danieli).

Now, though, there’s an entire festival for children at the Suzanne Dellal Center – and many of the offerings are dance-based. From August 17-21, the Kesem Shel Agada festival will feature a series of performances and events that are fun for the entire family. Read on to find out about some highlights!

This article was originally published as “A Magical End to the Summer” in the Jerusalem Post.

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A Magical End to the Summer

As the summer draws to a close, some parents may think they have exhausted their options for keeping their children entertained. But Michal Mor-Haim, producer of Kesem Shel Agada (the Children’s Fairytale Festival) has a suggestion for weary parents: “From August 17-20, from 4:30 from 9:00 in the evening, when you don’t know what to do with the children, you can come to Suzanne Dellal and have fun.”

With generous support from the Suzanne Dellal Center, the arts and culture branch of the city of Tel Aviv-Yafo, and the Yaron Yerushalmi family, Kesem Shel Agada has grown into a beloved end-of-summer tradition. Mor-Haim notes,”People tell me, ‘We used to come with our children; now we are coming with our grandchildren.'”

Now in its 19th year, Kesem Shel Agada boasts four days of programming which wondrously transform the Suzanne Dellal Center into an artistic playground for children. Mor-Haim elaborates,”When you come to Suzanne Dellal [for this festival], it’s something else. You come to see a show in the hall, and then you get out and you can see a lot of things outside, because we have creative workshop, outdoor performances and even a gymboree.”